The open digital platform TheHub.se was launched today by Danske Bank and the Stockholm co-working space SUP46. TheHub aims to give visibility to all Swedish startups by forming a transparent database, and assist startups with recruitment of talents, finding and contacting investors, and offering best practice tools.

By launching the platform TheHub.se, Danske Bank and SUP46 want to make it easier for young companies to grow and reach their goals. Danske Bank has conducted interviews with 150 Nordic startups to guide their creation of the platform. Regardless of where in the Nordics one operated, it was clear from the interviews that recruitment, investments and to find tools for best practice are challenges all startups have in common.

“Danske Bank wants to take an active role in society, for example by contributing to increased growth and by fostering innovation, both in Sweden and in other Nordic Countries. We have therefore chosen to develop TheHub as a natural part of our work to support entrepreneurs on their growth journey. If we are able to, at early stages, understand their needs and manage to create a relationship, it gives us better opportunities to be part of their future journey,” says Ann Krumlinde, CEO of Danske Bank Sweden, in a press release.

“Both through the work with our member-based community and through our open meeting place, where we work to improve the conditions for all Swedish startups, we have felt the lack of an open digital platform where anyone can get visibility. We see TheHub.se as a digitalization of our open meeting place and the platform really has potential to become the overview of the Swedish startup scene that is needed. Thus we can assist Swedish startups within for instance recruitment – one of the most crucial parts of building a scalable business,” says Jessica Stark, CEO & co-founder at SUP46.

Facilitating cross-border collaboration

The platform will continuously be evaluated and developed, and wants to encourage a strong dialogue between the Swedish startup community. TheHub is collaborating with startup ecosystem players outside Stockholm, including the G-Lab21 in Gothenburg, LEAD in Linköping and Norrköping, and Minc and Malmö Startups in Malmö. Ultimately, TheHub wants to facilitate greater exchange between not only the Swedish startup ecosystem but those in Norway and Denmark as well.

Alongside the job database, more than 100 startup profiles are already registered on the platform, and close to 50 investors have created profiles. An investor matchmaking tool hopes to match startups to the right investors.

TheHub’s first iteration launched in Denmark last year, in collaboration with Rainmaking Loft. It is now the biggest job and investment platform for startups in Denmark.